Nov 13, 2017

How the Kansas state government operates in the dark

Stef W. Kight

Photo: Ed Zurga / AP

90% of laws passed in Kansas in the last 10 years have had anonymous authors, according to new reporting from the Kansas City Star, which also found Kansas police departments could withhold body cam videos and officials have paid off the parent of a deceased child to keep quiet about the Department for Children's involvement.

Why it matters: Kansas has received failing grades for transparency in several public surveys, including a 2015 Center for Public Integrity report. The Star decided to investigate one of the most secretive state government in the country when a Kansas spokesperson was fired after telling reporters that a dangerous stretch of highway couldn't be repaired due to a lack of state funds.

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